This invention relates to devices for mounting netting on a basketball hoop.
In the well known sport of basketball, a ball receiving hoop is mounted at each end of the court and this hoop supports a generally tubular netting through which a basketball can pass. Each hoop is rigidly mounted by means of one or more support arms and is located in front of a backboard. The hoop or metal ring has an inside diameter of eighteen inches and it is located ten feet off the ground normally.
Because of the height of these hoops, it can be difficult under some circumstances to instal a new or replacement net on the hoop. Often a suitable ladder is required or a platform to stand on.
There are many outdoor basketball courts and outdoor areas where basketball can be played. Although many of these courts have suitable basketball hoops installed at the ends of the courts, often these hoops do not have any nets attached. The lack of a net may be due to several possible reasons including the height of the hoops from the court or playing surface, which height makes it difficult for maintenance personal to replace the nets. Also, the heavy use of public courts may make the life expectancy of the nets quite short and it may be too expensive for the owner to replace the nets frequently. The nets may also be stolen in such areas or simply destroyed because of improper use. Despite these problems with nets or the lack thereof, most basketball players prefer to play basketball with goal hoops at each end which have nets. When a net is mounted on each hoop, there can be little dispute as to whether the ball has or has not passed through the hoop when the shot is made. When a net is missing from the hoop, the ball may pass so quickly through the hoop that disputes could arise as to whether or not the score was actually made.
Because of the aforementioned difficulties with basketball nets, a number of temporary basketball net supporting devices have been developed and are known. For example, recent U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,995 issued Mar. 6, 1990 to Samuel Apo describes a basketball net assembly comprising a circular collar with a flanged upper end adapted to rest on the top inner half of a permanent basketball rim or hoop. A plurality of holes are equally spaced along the bottom end of the circular collar. A basketball net is attached to the collar. This device can be installed in the hoop by means of a long pole.
Very recent U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,091 dated Mar. 24, 1992 issued to Sean McGivern describes a quick connect/disconnect basketball net support that is able to support a net relative to a rim. This support comprises a flexible, elongate rod that can be formed into a hoop corresponding to the basketball rim. This rod is threaded through upper loops of the netting and its opposite ends can be connected to one another to provide the hoop. Attached to this member are a series of circumferentially spaced connecting means in the form of releasable fasteners. Although this device appears to be relatively simple and easy to make, it does suffer from the aforementioned problem of requiring a ladder or similar form of support to enable a user to instal it on a basketball rim located ten feet above the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,964 issued Feb. 27, 1990 to G. E. Anderson describes a basketball net attaching device which includes an annular rim-engaging portion that is of inverted channel-shaped configuration and that can be detachably secured to the rim or hoop. This device is preferably mounted with the aid of a lifting tool which has a hook-shaped end and can advance the device upwardly through the centre of the rim and then draw the rim-engaging portion downwardly into engagement with the rim.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel basketball net device for mounting on a basketball hoop, which device can be easily removed from an elevated basketball hoop without the use of a pole or ladder.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a basketball net device which includes an annular member with a hoop engaging portion, a generally tubular netting attached to this annular member and a closure mechanism for temporarily closing off the passageway through the netting.
It is another object of the invention to provide a basketball net device for temporary mounting on a basketball hoop, which device is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use.